Vol 119 | Issue 10
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Publishing since 1913
Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
F#@K Readers speak out about protest incident, pg. 2, 3
KATlinks
INDEX
To read the university’s social media policy, visit www. HoustonianOnline.com
Viewpoints ...... pg. 2 Viewpoints ..... pg. 3 News................. pg. 4
Oh, Sleeper to perform at Sammypalooza, pg. 4
A&E ................. pg. 5 Sports ............... pg. 6
Disorderly end to orderly protest Protestor files report against math professor, cites destruction of property By Stephen Green Associate News Editor A police report has been passed on to the Huntsville Municipal Court after incidents at the “Free Speech Wall” protest on Friday. The “Wall” was a collection of wooden boards covered with white parchment paper that spanned the width of the Lee Drain Building atrium on the second floor. Event organizer Morgan Freeman, president of SHSU Lovers of Liberty, said students were allowed to write “whatever they want[ed].” According to event organizers, at approximately 2:30 p.m., math professor Joe Kirk, Ph.D. became upset at the phrase “Fuck Obama” that was written predominantly on the sign. Below that section another student wrote, “Fuck Bush.” Several other profane phrases were scattered all about the sign. In a report that Freeman filed, Kirk told students that — See REPORT, page 4
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
THE RIGHT TO SWEAR. Students exercised their right to free speech Thursday through a “Free Speech Wall” that was erected in the second floor atrium of the Lee Drain Building. The wall was taken down by the protestors after a math professor Joe Kirk, Ph.D., took a box cutter to the wall and removed the word “fuck” from “Fuck Obama,” which was written on the wall several times. Morgan Freeman, president of the SHSU Lovers of Liberty, filed a police report against Kirk with the Huntsville Municpal Court.
Media policy protests continue By Stephen Green
Associate News Editor
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
THE RIGHT TO SWEAR. Several student organizations are continuing to protest the university’s social media policy, beginning with a “censored free speech wall” Wednesday.
Organizers of the “Free Speech Wall” are planning two additional events to continue their objection to the proposed social media policy. The SHSU Lovers of Liberty, Young DemocraticSocialists, Bearkat Democrats and College Republicans will be holding two additional protests in the mall area, including a “censored free speech wall.” Morgan Freeman, president of the SHSU Lovers of Liberty, said the first protest will be on
Wednesday, Sept. 28 mall area. “It’s going to be a full protest,” Freeman said. “We’re going to have signs and everything to help keep pushing our issue.” The second event is a “censored free speech wall,” also in the mall area that Freeman said is “basically a free speech wall but we are going to cover up ‘profane’ things.” The students put on the event in response to the university’s proposed SHSU Social Media Policy and Procedures Manual. The SHSU Social Media Policy and Procedures Manual affects anyone
who joins the opt-in Social Universe group created by the university marketing department. According to the policy, all groups who use the trademarked “SHSU” or “Sam Houston State University” must join the Social Universe, or remove the trademark. Groups are contesting sections of the policy that would allow the university to remove any material without official justification, and that limit “freedom of speech.” “To place any limit on [the exchange of ideas] would violate the ultimate purpose of the university,
[which is] to educate and promote this exchange of ideas,” Freeman said. The types of groups coming together, Freeman said, is what shows how serious the event’s purpose is. “It is a legitimate problem, serious enough to bring people from every end of the political spectrum,” Freeman said. “When we come together we can draw enough attention to battle the ultimate enemy of freedom: Apathy.” Kris Ruiz, associate vicepresident of Marketing and Communications, led the — See PROTESTS, page 4
How the west was won Rather returning to Sam
Kats jump to 16 in FCS Top-25, Flanders breaks records Former CBS anchor to join Gibson in Presidents Speaker Series By Zach Birdsong Sports Editor Down 45-42 in overtime to New Mexico, Bearkat running back Tim Flanders got the ball and carried it for a four yard gain. That was all he needed as he was able to punch it in the endzone, and got the final score that sealed the game for the Kats 48-45. The win over New
Mexico (0-4) is the third win in twenty five games against NCAA football bowl subdivision (FBS) schools, and improves the Kats record to 3-0 this season. On top of getting the last score, Flanders had a huge game, carrying the ball for 194 yards and five touchdowns, setting a new school record for most touchdowns runs in a game.
The previous mark was set by Charles Harris, SHSU’s all-time leading rusher, in 1992 and James Aston in 2008. “It was crazy,” Flanders said. “After the game, they told me that I’m the only running back to score five touchdowns in a game in Sam Houston history so that was a big deal for me.” — See WEST, page 3
Photo courtesy GoBearkats.com
BREAKING GROUND. Runningback Tim Flanders broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns with five, carrying 30 times for a total of 194 yards.
By Amanda Morgan Contributing Reporter Dan Rather will be sharing his experiences and memories as an iconic broadcaster and the longestserving CBS anchor at Sam Houston State University Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Rather is a native Texan and renowned alumnus of SHSU. He is best known for his extensive and celebrated career as the anchor and managing editor for the “CBS Evening News,” spanning 24 years from 1981 to 2005. The venerable news program has also been anchored by broadcasting legends Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, and Katie Couric. During college, Rather served as the Houstonian editor-in-chief from 1951 to 1953. Rather will be the guest of the “Mingling with the Media” event. Throughout the program, Rather will speak about his experiences in his career including his
Photo courtesy Today @ Sam
HONORABLE ALUMNUS. Dan Rather, ‘53, will return to SHSU on Wednesday for the President’s Speaker Series.
current position as the host and managing editor of his own show, which started its sixth season on Sept. 13. “Dan Rather Reports” on HDNet has been nominated for numerous awards at this year’s Doc Emmys including Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine, Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting in a News Magazine and Outstanding Editing- Quick Turnaround.
Rather has been the leading correspondent for many historic events such as the John F. Kennedy assassination, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s as well as the Vietnam, Afghan, Persian Gulf, Yugoslavian and Iraqi wars. His extensive career, covering some of the most prominent events in American history, has earned him the highly regarded Peabody Award in broadcast journalism. Rather controversially stepped down from CBS over a “60 Minutes Wednesday” report that relied on what conservative activists and bloggers called falsified records for a story about then President George W. Bush’s military record during the Vietnam War. Joining Rather on stage will be Sam Houston State University president Dr. Dana Gibson as well as Warner Chair of Journalism at SHSU Peter Roussel. SHSU’s student-run organization Priority One is hosting the event.
Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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Today in history: 1066 – William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the Somme River, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. 1529 – The Siege of Vienna begins when Suleiman I attacks the city. 1590 – Pope Urban VII dies 13 days after being chosen as the Pope, making his reign the shortest papacy in history. 1777 – Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the capital of the United States, for one day. 1821 – Mexico gains its independence from Spain. 1905 – The physics journal Annalen der Physik published Albert Einstein’s paper “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?”, introducing the equation E=mc². 1908 – The first production of the Ford Model T automobile was built at the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan. 1979 – The United States Department of Education receives final approval from the U.S. Congress to become the 13th US Cabinet agency. 1997 – The Google internet search engine retrospectively claims this as its birthday. 1997 – Communications are suddenly lost with the Mars Pathfinder space probe.
Key words: What the
F#@K
Adam Key takes exception to the use of a weapon on the Free Speech Wall On Thursday, we saw quite an amazing thing occur. The campus Republicans, Democrats, Socialists and Lovers of Liberty finally found some common ground: they hate the new Social Media Policy. In protest, they set up a free speech wall in the atrium of the Lee Drain building. Students, faculty, staff and anyone else were free to come express their views however they so chose. This demonstration was put into place to show a unified student voice opposing the university’s ability to censor and remove student messages it found offensive. The university, of course, promptly showed up to censor and remove student messages it found offensive. A math professor thought that the words “Fuck Obama” were offensive. That’s fine; he has a right to his opinions. What he did not have the right to do was to take a box cutter and cut the words off the wall. Using the exact same weapon al Qaeda did to hijack the planes on 9/11, this professor engaged in his own attack on American liberty. Of course, when you go around brandishing weapons on a college campus, police are bound to show up. And show up they did, not to arrest the bladewielding professor, but to force the student organizations to censor their free speech wall. The university police department are not rent-a-cops. They are not security guards. They are actual police officers, the same as you would find in the Huntsville or Houston police departments. As such, they have a solemn duty to protect and defend not only us, but the Constitution and the rights it protects. Not only did they fail to do their job, they became part of the problem.
Adam Key Recurring Columnist There are some out there who, even though they waive the flag and say they love free speech, may think UPD did the right thing. They may be of the opinion that there are just certain words you cannot say in public. To those people, I have this to say: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. These words are most famously used by George Carlin as the seven words you cannot say on TV. And if you’re still reading at this point, I have three more words for you: Cohen v. California. Cohen, during the Vietnam War era, decided to express how he felt about the government by wearing a jacket that said “Fuck the draft.” Brazenly, he decided to wear it into a courtroom where an overzealous officer arrested him. The Supreme Court found that he had been arrested illegally, stating that “the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display of this single four-letter expletive
“Not only did they fail to do their jobs, they became part of the problem.”
a criminal offense.” The fact that people could be and were offended, like the math professor, did not matter. Unless the offensive message was directed personally at the math teacher, the fact that he got angry does not mean that their message “by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” The free speech board’s message was legal and the police had a duty to protect the students’ right to express those messages. The worst part about the situation is that this censorship isn’t even in the name of national security; it’s in the name of not offending people. What kind of country do we live in where people think that it’s okay for them to take a blade and destroy someone else’s property? If all it takes to justify this is someone being offended, then no one is safe. Would we be okay with an atheist taking a knife to a Chi Alpha sign that says “Jesus loves you”? If Christians are offended by Bearkats Openly Discussing Sex handing out Planned Parenthood literature and condoms, would we tolerate UPD censoring them too? No one’s message is safe if we allow this to continue. People thought I was exaggerating in my last column when I talked about American freedom being one more thing our children’s children read about in history books but never experience themselves. And now, two weeks later to the day, this happens. Police didn’t censor someone’s political speech in China or Cuba. It didn’t happen in another part of the country. It happened here, right here. In the same hallways where you go to class, police told your fellow students that they were breaking the law because someone didn’t like what they had to say. And we let it happen. “Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew…” -Adam is the coach for SHSU Speech and Debate.
E ditorial: Fre e Sp e e ch While we at The Houstonian completely understand the actions of those involved in the controversy surrounding Thursday’s “Free Speech Wall” and its takedown, we don’t necessarily agree with those actions. As a primarily liberal arts-focused university, Sam Houston State University should be focused on bringing together ideas and letting the resulting magic happen. While Joe Kirk, Ph.D., the professor who cut the sign with a box-cutter, was completely justified in taking offense to the swear words plastered all over the Free Speech Wall, we believe that he served the students a great injustice. By choosing to vandalize a piece of artwork, as that is exactly what the Free Speech Wall was, by cutting a section out of it, this professor exhibited exactly what many people believe the Office of the President wishes to do -- take away the voice of the students. Though Office of the President has never exhibited such behavior, it does bring up an important point: how much voice can students truly have? According to that professor’s actions, none. Frankly, we think that he should have just sucked it up and moved on, maybe even written his own opinion. Even if he’s the biggest fan of President Obama that ever was and ever will be, he should have removed himself and his personal feelings from the equation and just kept a-walking.
Newsflash, dude: it’s not about you. The purpose of the wall was to exercise our First Amendment right to the freedom of speech. The idea was to be able to say anything we like without fear of repercussion or judgement, which is exactly what free speech is. Now, were the words “Fuck Obama” or “Fuck Bush” really the best use of a stretch of parchment paper intended for exercising free speech? Not really, unless that particular statement happens to just really speak to you. However, it was within that person’s right to write just that. In fact, the law was entirely on the side of the students in this case. UPD informed the protesting group that they would be cited with Disorderly Conduct under Section 42.01 (1) of the Texas Penal Code if they refused to take it down, censor the word “fuck” or put up new paper, seemingly ignoring the fact that Kirk damaged private property and was actually the one who caused the scene, disrupting the peace. The only disorderly conduct actually taking place was with Kirk’s own hands. After all, Section 42.01 (10) states that “A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.” That being said, even if the word incited disorderly conduct, the US Constitution is the supreme
law of the land, so shouldn’t our First Amendment right take a little more precedence over this tiny section of the Texas Penal Code? We think so. In addition, the University Police Department exceeded their boundaries when they threatened students with disorderly conduct. The 1971 Supreme Court case, Cohen v. California, allows for the exact behavior the students were exercising, as well as the protection from the type of censorship that occurred. That case specifically said that the public display of words like “fuck” is not considered disorderly conduct. It all comes down to the context. For instance, shouting “fire” indoors is considerably different than shouting it outside on the street. One incites panic, while the other just makes people turn. Location, location, location. The students’ use of the word “fuck” incited no panic, though it did make people turn. It made Kirk turn. The Dean of the College of Sciences’ office should have expected the vulgarity when they approved the wall, and we have to commend their defense of the students when UPD arrived. The wall? Fantastic idea. The professor’s own “statement?” Gave it even more power.
Letter to the Student Body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian. Karmen C. King Viewpoints Editor kking@houstonianonline.com
The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
Viewpoints
Page 3 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
The new f-word:
Forward
Kenneth Hendrickson wants the university community to learn, grow
As many readers probably know, there was an ugly incident surrounding the Free Speech Wall located in Lee Drain Building last Thursday afternoon. The object of the Wall was to allow students to express themselves freely in writing. This is a common practice on campuses around the United States and is an activity protected by the Constitution and no less than five separate Supreme Court decisions over the last fifty years. There was absolutely nothing radical, edgy, and certainly nothing illegal about this exercise. Moreover, the student groups involved sponsoring the Free Speech Wall had observed all SHSU policies and were officially approved for this event. About half way through the event, not long after lunch, Dr. Joe Kirk of the mathematics department allegedly took offense to an insult to President Obama written on the wall. He demanded students remove the insult and when they wouldn’t, he proceeded to his office to get a box cutter. He returned, made a statement to the effect of “not being stopped” and cut out the passage offending him. Because he had brandished a box cutter, I called the SHSU Police on the advice of administration officials with whom I checked first. The police arrived, spoke a while with Dr. Kirk and then informed my student groups that the wall constituted disorderly conduct and would have to be edited, covered, or removed. The alternative they said was citation with a misdemeanor. We decided to shut down the wall because we objected to the censorship and because it was practically impossible to remove or cover every offensive phrase on it. I think there are a few points I’d like to make early on in the likely extended discussion that will ensue. 1) At all times before, during and after the incident with Dr. Kirk, the student organizers and participants at the Wall behaved themselves with perfect decorum. Disagreeing parties were there, but aired their points in writing as intended. There was no arguing or evidence of tension among the students. It is likely that authorities may make the case that “mistakes were made on both sides” and I want up front to testify that was not the case. The students involved were within SHSU procedural policy and more importantly within their legal rights under the Constitution and federal law as defined by the Supreme Court. Students did nothing wrong. 2) I have already seen vilification of Dr. Kirk on the internet in the blogosphere. Clearly, I profoundly disagree with his overreaction to the Wall. However, he is also a colleague and a neighbor and I want to be on record that vilifying him is wrong. He is not a “radical socialist”, or a “communist”, nor should he have people come “take a dump on his lawn”, as I have read in the blogs. This sort of hyperbolic language, designed to incite unreasoning anger, is far removed from the serious conversation that needs to happen here. I denounce this behavior and I urge Bearkats, faculty and students to extend a hand of fellowship and peace to Dr. Kirk. In a fit of passion, he made a mistake but, “which of you is without sin”? Send him a message of reconciliation. Oppose people you hear with a mob mentality against him. Let him know he has a home at SHSU. At the next Free Speech Wall, I’d like to invite him to be the first person to write, and to express freely whatever he would like to say. He may or may not accept such an invitation, but it’s open to him as a valued member of our community. 3) Administrators are not going to like anything much about this whole episode. It is a lose-lose proposition for them as it stands. Right now they risk being tagged as oppressive. They may also fear that to respond too generously will make them look weak or too driven by popular opinion. Given those options, they may well be tempted to take a hard line to save face. I’d like to suggest though, that while we’ve had an uncomfortable moment, there are tremendous opportunities for positive outcomes here. First, the police simply made a mistake interpreting the law. However, the officers acted with great professionalism at all times; there was no “confrontation” in that sense. It was just a bad call and that moment can be easily overcome with subsequent gestures of good will.
Second, rather than make the Free Speech Wall seem like some kind of risky anomaly on our campus, the administration could take the lead in sponsoring such exercises themselves. What a teachable moment! I can just see a new wall erected, with a bit of ceremony, and Dr. Gibson herself opening the day’s celebration of our liberties. I see Bearkats cheering all around and maybe some press coverage showing what a forward thinking and take-charge administration we really have. I’d be the first to help get that message far and wide. I believe we have a great leadership team here and this would be an easy and popular way to show it. Remember, university administrative jobs are not easy. They come with prestige yes, but the pressures are immense and constant. In the current era, administrators are plagued with redoubled worries, often focused on the bottom line practicalities of running this place. Moreover, the competition for jobs in their world is very keen. However, these people are our colleagues and neighbors as well as our leaders. I would suggest that if they get a clear message that responsible people support them and will stand by them, they will be heartened and strengthened as they navigate this situation. Help them by letting them hear from you in a positive and constructive manner. You might consider the following three points as a basis for your communications with them. 1) Free Speech Walls should be the norm, not the exception of campus life. They are practical and effective expressions of the “prime directive” of the university: the free exchange of ideas. At the wall Thursday, I heard more than one student remark “can I really say what I want?” I was saddened they were so surprised by the idea. We can do better than that. We have a golden opportunity as a community to make free speech experience normative here, founded not on some experimental policy, but on the rock solid basis of the First Amendment and settled Supreme Court precedent. You don’t get credentials stronger than that. Let’s have regular, widely sponsored Free Speech events on this campus; 2) The origin of the Free Speech Wall held last Thursday was growing concern about a proposed social media monitoring procedure. The university is exploring the idea of controlling expressions of opinion about itself in certain social media settings. Let’s get all the stakeholders, including the student body, fully up to speed on the proposal. Let’s assure a full hearing for all the ideas associated with it in the appropriate venues of student government, faculty governance, deans’ councils and public forums. Once people are better informed about this proposed policy, the community will be better able to make reasoned responses to it; 3) Let’s make a long-term commitment to the intellectual culture of SHSU. I do not consume marijuana nor am I a Libertarian, but I am a faculty sponsor to a marijuana legalization group and the SHSU Lovers of Liberty. I do that because I support the right of such groups to be heard and to promote their viewpoints. That’s at the heart of what universities do. In both cases, when these groups were forming, other faculty expressed fear to sponsor them. I think such fears were simply misplaced. I want to go on record saying that my interactions to date with SHSU administration regarding these student groups have been nothing but professional and supportive. However, when groups of people stop talking to each other, a culture of misunderstanding can grow without anyone really intending it. Currently, I don’t think the different populations of our community always communicate well or freely. Using our current discomfort with a free speech moment as a catalyst, I think we can do much to change this situation. I have reason to know that SHSU is blessed with an abundance of skilled and dedicated professionals at many levels of staff, faculty and administration. Times lately have been tough, and worries have been mounting, but I urge us all to get used to talking and to promoting our common mission for this university. We really are all on the same team here.
Paws
Up
“Paws UP” to a Bearkat winning weekend. Football, volleyball and soccer all won games last weekend!
“Paws UP” to former Houstonian EditorIn-Chief Dan Rather returning to campus tomorrow.
“Paws DOWN” to
We’re sorry this paw has been censored.
Paws Down
- Dr. Hendrickson is a professor of History.
Special “Paw UP”
All comics courtesy Creators.com
to F.I.R.E. (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) for sticking up for the students’ voice. They wrote a letter expressing displeasure regarding the incident with the free speech wall to President Gibson.
The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. COLLEGE SKI & BOARD WEEK breckenridge
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News
Page 4 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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SKO makes perfect prom dreams reality By Linsey Jones Ruby Avant
Public Relations Team
Multicultural Greek sorority Sigma Kappa Omega is planning on transforming Huntsville High School’s students into princesses and princes for prom. “It’s a project that we started as a sorority. It’s our own personal stamp on things,” Sigma Kappa Omega philanthropy chair Brittnee Garner said. The sorority began to develop Project Princess in the spring of 2011. They have begun collecting donated dresses from the community as well as acquiring used ties and suits from the fraternities on campus. Sigma Kappa Omega hopes that every student in need of prom attire will be helped through Project Princess. Sorority members will be acting as fashion consultants, helping students pick out the perfect prom ensemble.
From REPORT page 1
he would take measures into his own hands. She said Kirk then left and returned with a box-cutter before carving out the word “fuck.” The word was quickly replaced by another student. Freeman said the student organizations quickly called UPD on the advice of an employee in the Dean of Sciences’ Office. After officers showed up, they took statements from students and the math professor. University Police Deputy Chief Fitch said officers returned and told the organizations they had three options: censor the word “fuck,” put up new paper, or take the sign down completely. Failure to do so, officers said, would result in the groups being cited for Disorderly Conduct, a misdemeanor. Ultimately, the group chose to comply with the officers’ request due to the excessive use of the word in question. Kenneth Hendrickson, faculty adviser for SHSU Lovers of Liberty, said that any attempt to censor the words would leave virtually no room for any additional writing. The charge is listed in Section 42.01 of the Texas Penal Code: “A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly; (1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” Students had permission from the Dean of the College of Sciences’ Office to hold the protest in the atrium. In addition, the box cutter-wielding professor and SHSU University Police Department are the targets of a letter sent to University President Dana Gibson by a national civil rights group. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) tells Gibson the group is “deeply concerned” by the actions taken by both the professor and the UPD at the “Free Speech Wall” protest on Sept. 22. Students organizing the event were protesting the proposed SHSU Social Media Policy and Procedures Manual. Adam Kissel, VicePresident of Programs at FIRE, who wrote the letter to Gibson, said there are
“We’re going to help or money can contact them put on the dresses and Sigma Kappa Omega at see if they like it,” Garner sigmakappaomega@gmail. said. com. Donations will be In conjunction with taken all semester so that Project Princess, the they can have enough time sorority will do a to be prepared for next sponsorship through Adopt semesters’ prom. a Family, in which the sorority will provide the total prom experience for a deserving couple, which will also include prom day necessities, such as hair, transportation, and a meal. “We were excited to start helping the family,” Garner said Sigma Kappa Omega believes that this project will not only provide an unforgettable experience for the students, but also help to break down walls between the SHSU and Huntsville community. “We are not just Greek or just Bearkats, we are people helping people,” member Katie Lorton said. Image courtesy event Facebook page. The sorority is allowing PERFECT PROM. Sigma anyone in the community Kappa Omega, will be collecting to donate to Project dresses, ties, suits and shirts Princess. Those interested for underprivileged students at in donating dresses Huntsville High School. only “very few exceptions” to free speech statutes, and that the students did not violate the law. “The professor was the only one who decided to take it upon himself to breech the peace, and it wasn’t immediate,” he said. In his letter to Gibson, Kissel cites several United States Supreme Court cases as a defense of the organizations. They included: Texas v. Johnson: “[i]f there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” Papish v. Board of Curators of the University of Missouri: “the mere dissemination of ideasno matter how offensive to good taste-on a state university campus may not be shut off in the name alone of conventions of decency.” Kissel made one of his biggest points in the case of Cohen v. California. “As a public university, SHSU cannot lawfully ban ‘four-letter words’ no matter how offensive some may find them,” Kissel said. “[Cohen v. California] made clear that the First Amendment protects shocking or offensive expression, including the use of expletives in the communication of core political speech.” The 1971 case revolved around an incident in which Paul Cohen, a Vietnam veteran, walked into the Los Angeles Courthouse wearing a jacket that read “Fuck the Draft.” He was arrested for “maliciously and willfully disturb[ing] the peace.” The case was upheld by the California Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court then grant a writ of certiorari Cohen after the California Supreme Court denied a review. Cohen won his case in a 5-4 decision. “[A]bsent a more particularized and compelling reason for its actions,” Justice John Marshall Harlen III said in the decision, “the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display of this single fourletter expletive a criminal offense.” Kissel said this exempts students from the disorderly conduct citation. “Indeed, the Supreme Court has held that the Constitution protects many kinds of expression
arguably much more than what was printed on the free speech wall,” he said. FIRE is a non-profit, nonlitigation civil rights group that deals specifically with higher education students. “Instead they are successful by drawing public attention to a case and by laying out the facts for, usually, the president to fix the problems caused by lower level administration and police,” Kissel said. “We lay out the facts and legal precedent, and we ask the president to resolve the issue.” “We often find,” Kissel said, “as Justice Brandeis said, ‘Sunlight is one of the best disinfectants.’” Richard Eglsaer, Ph.D., Associate Provost of Academic Affairs, said that there will be more discussions about the incident. “The question is what is the appropriate way to respond if there is something wrong,” Eglsaer said. “What’s being looked at is what caused this event to occur. I think there could have been mistakes made on both sides.” University President Dana Gibson said in a response that the university respects the principles of the rights to free speech. “In addition, the university supports the rights of individuals and organizations to exercise freedom of speech,” Gibson said. “The incident that occurred on Thursday, September 22nd between a member of the faculty and the student organizations that sponsored the “Free Speech Wall,” is currently under investigation.” Eglsaer said that the university cannot comment on how it handles internal discipline matters. Freeman said she filed a report with the University Police. Freeman said prior to the sign being taken down, there was a large support from students. “A ton of students came out to write on it,” Freeman said. “We had a tremendously positive response from most of the students.” The SHSU Lovers of Liberty sponsored the event, along with the Young Democratic Socialists, Bearkat Democrats and College Republicans in response to the proposed social media policy that they say diminishes free speech. University officials said the incident is still under investigation.
UPD Update September 24, 2011 While conducting a traffic stop in the 2400 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 1:13 a.m., officer determined that the driver (a male university student) was intoxicated. The driver was arrested and charged with the Class B Misdemeanor Offense of Driving While Intoxicated. While in the 2600 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 1:42 a.m., an officer observed a male who appeared unsteady on his feet. Upon checking the male’s welfare, the officer determined that he was highly intoxicated. The male was arrested and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor Offense of Public Intoxication. September 23, 2011 Officer was dispatched to Jackson-Shaver Hall (located at 1201 17th Street) at 12:45 a.m. to assist with a medical call. Officer met with complainant at 3:25 p.m. who reported that they discovered fraudulent charges on their BearkatOne Card account. A Credit/Debit Card Abuse offense report was completed. Officer met with complainant at the University Police Department at 5:03 p.m. who reported that she was being harassed by two former friends. Information was obtained and will be forwarded to the Dean of Students’ Office for review.
From PROTEST page 1
project that resulted inpart in the policy. She said the policy is almost identical to Facebook and other social network policies. She also said that the platform was built with ‘community’ in mind. “We encourage those in our university community to share their opinions and any ideas for improvement,” Ruiz said. “We want this very powerful tool to work for us all. I understand there are some concerns regarding some of the language in the social media policy.” Ruiz will be speaking with the Faculty Senate on Thursday, Sept. 29 about the policy and said she looks
forward to the conversation. “This is the perfect time to encourage discussion and make any changes that will improve the use of social media at Sam Houston State, including any amendments to policies and procedures,” she said. In addition to the student protests, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution saying all policy that affects faculty, staff and students must go through additional channels, including the Council of Academic Deans. According to Jamie Hebert, Ph.D., provost and vice-president of Academic Affairs, after a university policy is created it goes before the President’s Cabinet. After that, Hebert said, the President’s Council usually seeks advice from
the Council of Academic Deans, Faculty Senate, Student Government Association, or other issuerelevant committees. (see graphic.) He said he has already visited with faculty senate leadership to discuss the issue. “Anything that remotely infringes on First Amendment rights or academic freedom will be carefully scrutinized by all appropriate administrative channels,” Hebert said. The groups now include NORML Kats, but they are looking for more groups to help with the protests. Hebert said that the policy will be seen by all of the appropriate review processes and that many more conversations will be had before the policy goes into effect.
SHSU Career Expo & Graduate School Fair Wednesday, September 28, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Bernard Johnson Coliseum
Professional Dress Attire Bring Copies of Your Resume! Over 60 Organizations Attending!
Thanks to Our Corporate Sponsors:
For more information contact: SHSU Career Services ABIV, Suite 210 936-294-1713 www.shsu.edu/careerservices
Arts & Entertainment
Page 5 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
houstonianonline.com/a-e
Wake up with Oh, Sleeper
Metal band headliner talks new album, influences
By McKinzie Brocail Senior Reporter
Oh, Sleeper; the Fort Worth based metal/rock band will be headlining the outdoor performances at Sammypalooza on Friday. With their third album “Children of Fire” being released today, you have time to listen and fall in love with their powerfully provocative songs and sick riffs before the concert. So who are Oh, Sleeper? James Erwin, rhythm guitar; Shane Blay, lead guitar and clean vocals; and Micah Kinard, lead vocals, additional guitar and programming have been in the band since it started in 2006. “Children of Fire” debut’s their new drummer Zac Mayfield and bass player Nate Grady. While looking for a new drummer after their original drummer quit, Erwin said
they “saw Mayfield’s videos on YouTube, flew him out to Texas to try out and the rest is history! [Grady] has been a longtime friend and student of [Blay] and has even been out a few times selling merch for us.” The name Oh, Sleeper comes from the verse 5:14 of Ephesians in the Bible: “wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” Their last album, “Son of the Morning,” is a full concept record in which Satan threatens and challenges God in the title track, and the rest of the songs have God speaking through different people and their lives. The last song “The Finisher” is God speaking directly to Satan, putting him in his place, and ending with a breakdown of “I’ll cut off your horns! I’ll cut off your horns.” Oh, Sleepers symbol, a broken pentagram. In
reference to “I’ll cut off your horns!” it cuts off the horns used in the satanic goathead pentagram image. “’Children of Fire” is a lot more diverse than “Son of the Morning.” We went a lot heavier with this one and also branched out into acoustic stuff. We really pushed our boundaries. Conceptually, we really stretched out as well. The story that this album tells is dark and violent, but ends very beautifully. I think people are going to be stoked!” said Erwin. The new album picks up after the concept of “Son of the Morning.” It starts with the Rapture and people’s reactions to it and specifically follows a priest and his atheist daughter. When asked about their influences, Erwin said, “A guitar player named Andy Godwin (of The Famine) pretty much made Shane and I. Travis Orbin
Photo courtesy of Ryan Russell
GETTING BIBLICAL: “Children of Fire”, the third album from Oh, Sleeper is available today. Their music uses several biblical references to convey powerful messages.
DAN RATHER RETURNS TO SHSU
MINGLING WITH THE MEDIA WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28
6:30 PM James & Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center No admission charge
For questions contact Office of the President 936.294.3415 or events@shsu.edu @shsupriorityone
SHSUPriorityOne
(drummer of Periphery) made Zac. AJ Minette (guitarist of The Human Abstract) made Nate and Prince (yes, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince) made Micah. They’ve toured with bands like The Chariot,
Greeley Estates, Haste The Day, Underoath, Every Time I Die, Finch, Bring Me The Horizon and A Plea For Purging, giving them immeasurable notoriety. So grab their new album today and start preparing for the throwdown at the
Johnson Coliseum’s patio on Friday. The intense musical messages of Oh, Sleeper are sure to be unforgettable.
Concerts to showcase faculty, guest artists By George Mattingly
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The SHSU School of Music will present a series of three concerts this week that will feature performances from faculty and guest artists. Guest artist James Welch will kick off the concert series with an organ performance at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Tickets for the concert are $14 for students and $17 for general admission. Welch’s performance will feature a variety of music selections including classical organ music from such composers as Johan Sebastian Bach and Charles M. Widor, and Latin music from Joao de Sousa Varvalho and Ramon Noble. Welch earned his Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from Stanford University and is currently a faculty member of the music department at Santa Clara University in California. He has performed internationally with particular emphasis on Latin music at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Leipzig Gewandhaus; National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He has also performed and taught in Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Jerusalem. The annual Faculty Gala held on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. will feature performances from
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
MUSIC SHOWCASE: Both guest artists and music professors will showcase their talent on stage when they perform in this weeks’ series of concerts held in the PAC.
professors who will perform a variety of music in the PAC Recital Hall and is free to students and faculty. Selections for the program will include an original composition performed by Kyle Kindred, Ph.D., a clarinet duet by Patricia Card, Ph.D. and Dmytro Pervertailenko, Ph.D. with Ilonka Rus, Ph.D. on piano. Also a newly commissioned piece by Peter Garland will be presented by percussionist John Lane, Ph.D., and two movements from work by Catherine McMichael will be performed by vocalist Mary Kay Lake, Ph.D. , flutist Kathy Daniel, Ph.D. and Rus. Other scheduled performances include ‘Apres un reve’ by cellist Hayoung Lim, Ph.D. accompanied by Mieun
Lee, Ph.D. on piano, an arrangement of the Beatles ‘Blackbird by Robert Daniel, Ph.D., and will finish with ‘Sonataensatz’ performed by Javier Pinell, Ph.D., on violin with Sergio Ruiz Ph.D. on piano. Also, the winner of the Fisher Tull scholarship competition will be announced at the gala. The scholarship is awarded to a freshman music major based on a performance audition and an interview. On Saturday, the concert series will end with another performance by Sergio Ruiz and Dmytro Pervertailenko at 3 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall. For more information on this week’s performances, contact -the School of Music at 936-294-1360 or visit the School of Music at http://music.shsu.edu/
nostalgic Blink 182 sound. The best example of this is shown in the band’s first single “Up all night.” The song presents a clash in the two styles, and the band’s more serious lyrics are shown as DeLonge sings the chorus “And all these demons, they keep me up all night.” While most of the songs do incorporate a new style, the album does have a few songs that give listeners a nostalgic sense. One of those songs is “Heart’s all gone.” The song allows fans to reminisce over the punk sound that the band used to incorporate into their sound early in their career, and is a direct reminder of the band’s early single “Dammit.” This is one of the few songs where Hoppus contributes the lead vocals, and he makes the best of it. Other songs that listeners should check out include “Snake Charmer,” “MH 4.18.2011,” and “Love is dangerous.” In “Snake Charmer,” the band attempts to get away with sly sexual innuendos, unlike their previous work when they were blatantly obvious about it. Even in doing so, the song is unique and offers a great sense of
musicality that kept the song interesting the whole way through. “MH 4.18.2011,” offers fans a more punk enriched style song. Hoppus takes control of this song with his vocals. The song is a more mature written song as Hoppus tells the listener “Hold strong when everything you loved is gone.” But with a music style that is reminiscent of their earlier days, the song is quite enjoyable. “Love is dangerous,” is a song that is different than any other on the record. After the songs introduction, listeners will notice that both DeLonge and Hoppus take control of the verses, and sing in a duet (the only time on the album) and really make the song special. While the future of the band is unknown after this album, but by allowing the duet with DeLonge and Hoppus, listeners can feel at ease at least for the time being that the two have put their differences aside. While “Neighborhoods,” is a new direction for the band, listeners will get a sense of how the band matured over the past eight years. Without a doubt this album is one that fans won’t want to miss.
New Blink 182 album offers mature sound By Zach Birdsong Sports Editor
Long gone are the days of the sexual overtone and comedy that Blink 182 became famous for. On their new record “Neighborhoods,” the band lets fans know early and often, that they have seemingly matured. This is the first album in eight years for the band, after their self-titled album was released in 2003, and in the last eight years, the band has done a lot of things as the three members took a hiatus and worked on side projects. Tom DeLonge, guitarist for the band, went on to form Angels and Airwaves while bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker went on to form +44. Over the last eight years, the band has grown up a lot, and it shows on “Neighborhoods.” While the very thought of the band maturing, may turn some fans away from the record, many will find themselves enamored by the band’s new sound. In the albums opening seconds, it is apparent that the band attempts to combine both DeLonge’s style from Angels and Airwaves and mix it with a
Sports
Page 6 Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Kats ‘Bear’y UCA, 3-0 in SLC
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twitter.com/HoustonianSport
By Cheval John Sports Reporter
Nine sets, and two matches later, the SHSU volleyball team continues to pursue perfection in the Southland Conference after beating the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears and Northwestern State Demons this past weekend at home, improving the team’s record to 3-0 in Southland Conference play, and 9-7 overall. On Thursday night, the Bearkats defeated the Sugar Bears in five sets 25-20, 1425, 26-28, 25-16, 15-8. Senior outside hitter Carli Kolbe led the Kats with 18 kills, 15 digs, five blocks and an ace while sophomore middle blocker Haley Neisler contributed with 12 kills, four blocks and a dig. “Haley is our ‘silent assassin,’” assistant coach Jason Curnalia said. “She comes out and puts the ball away and she continues to get better.” It was a battle between the two teams as the Kats took the first set while the Sugar Bears took the second set. In the third set, the Kats were up 20-15 when the Bears scored five straight points to tie it at 20. From that moment, there were five ties and four lead changes before the Bears took the third set. The Bearkats would rebound and take the fourth set to set up the crucial fifth set. The Bearkats scored the first point in the fifth set on an attacking error by freshman right side hitter Taylor Whileyman that was blocked by Neisler and Kolbe. But the Sugar Bears tied it up at 1 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Karlie Giesler. The Bearkats would score the next three points that gave them a 4-1 lead
From WEST page 1
In total the Kats gained 373 yards on the ground, and quarterback Brian Bell threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. “The game went pretty good,” Flanders said. “We all had a good game. The offensive line did a tremendous job. There are some things that I still need to work on, but overall as an offense we did well.” The Kats defense endured a touch match-up as New Mexico quarterback B.R. Holbrook came off the bench, and threw for 289 yards, and two touchdowns. Receiver Deon Long led New Mexico and caught nine passes, for 209 yards and three touchdowns. In total, both teams scored 93 points and produced 1,075 yards of offense in the game. “It was a great job by the offense,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “I think they carried us tonight. Sometimes it happens in football where one phase of the ball has to carry the other one. We got the ball
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
STAYING PERFECT. (From Left to Right) Tayler Gray, Jamie Haas, Carli Kolbe, Kym Loving, and Haley Neisler celebrate after getting a clutch point Thursday night against Central Arkansas. The Kats would win the match in five sets, and would go on to beat Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon.
on a service error by sophomore middle blocker Jessica Nagy, a kill by senior middle blocker Kim Black and an attacking error by junior middle blocker Taylor Hammonds. They would go on to win the set and the match. “We have really good team chemistry and we push through when we were down,” Neisler said. Black finished the game with 11 kills, eight blocks, four digs and two aces while senior setter Kym Loving contributed with 46 assists, one kill, eight digs, three blocks and two aces. In Saturday’s action, the Bearkats defeated the Demons in four sets 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21. Kolbe led the Kats
with 14 kills, 19 digs, four blocks and two aces while Neisler contributed with eight kills and five blocks. The Bearkats would take the first set. They were leading 5-1 in the second set when the Demons scored seven unanswered points to make it 8-5. The Bearkats pulled within one before the Demons scored the next seven points to extend the lead to 16-8. Freshman outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson’s two kills and a block pulled the Kats within five. Then freshman outside hitter Stacey DiFrancesco had a kill that made it 17-11. The Bearkats scored the next six points to tie it. From there, it went back and forth between the
in the right people’s hands, and we were able to mix it up with just enough passes to keep them honest and not pack up the box.” 14 seconds into the contest, the Kats found themselves down 7-0, after Long returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But with 10:22 left in the first quarter, Bell threw a 44 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Closner that would even the score up. Shortly after, Flanders broke a big play, and 61 yards later got into the endzone for his first touchdown of the day. He would go on to score his second touchdown on the day after a fumble by Bell was recovered in the endzone by Flanders. New Mexico answered and Long caught two touchdowns that tied the game at 21 going into halftime. At the break, SHSU had outgained New Mexico in yardage, 296180. With 12:03 left in the game, the Kats were up 3521 on New Mexico. After a trade of scores, the Kats were up 42-28 with
7:33 left to play. But it was two late touchdowns that brought New Mexico back. With 27 seconds left in the game, Holbrook found Long open for a 20 yard touchdowns pass that sent the game into overtime. After holding New Mexico to a field goal, the Kats took the ball and scored the game clinching touchdown. “We didn’t feel too intimidated because of the fact that they’re Division I FBS team from the Mountain West and we’re an FCS team,” Flanders said. “New Mexico has some guys that are bigger, but I redshirted at Kansas State and it’s not a big difference to us. I think that they kind of underestimated us, but after coming out here and playing hard, we changed their minds. There are a lot of outstanding athletes in the Southland Conference.” On Saturday, SHSU will face their second FBS team of the year, when they welcome UTSA to Bowers Stadium. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Photo courtesy Today @ Sam
BREAKING GROUND. Runningback Tim Flanders broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns with five, carrying 30 times for a total of 194 yards.
two teams that had two tie scores before the Demons scored the next three points to take the second set. “Deveney came in and made a huge impact that changed the momentum of the game,” Kolbe said. The third set would be a battle between the two teams as there were four ties and one lead change. With the score tied at 16, the Bearkats scored the next four points on a kill by
junior outside hitter Kaylee Hawkins, two aces by Black and an attacking error by junior outside hitter Nicole Hajka. It allowed them to win the third set and cruised through the fourth set to win the match. Hawkins finished the match with six kills, seven digs and two aces while Loving contributed with 38 assists, five kills, seven digs and three blocks. DiFrancesco led the
Demons with 20 kills, 12 digs and three blocks while freshman outside hitter Kelly Jiminez contributed with 12 kills, 11 digs, one block and an ace. Their next two games will be on the road as they face the University of Texas at San Antonio on Thursday and Texas A&MCorpus Christi on Saturday. For more information, visit gobearkats.com.